Commanders owner Dan Snyder testifies before House committee investigating team's workplace misconduct
Investigation launched into team last year following NFL review, fine of $10 million US
Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder testified before a congressional committee investigating the NFL team's history of workplace misconduct Thursday, speaking for more than 10 hours in a deposition conducted virtually and in private.
A spokesperson for the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and a spokesperson for Snyder independently verified his testimony wrapped up after 6:30 p.m. EDT. It was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., with Snyder appearing via Zoom from Israel.
"Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder today voluntarily testified under oath for nearly 11 hours, on top of the previous cooperation provided to the committee," a spokesperson for Snyder said in a statement. "Mr. Snyder fully addressed all questions about workplace misconduct, described the Commanders' dramatic two-year transformation and expressed hope for the organization's bright future."
Snyder agreed to testify voluntarily after committee members worked out some issues with his legal team on the terms of his deposition. The committee had previously agreed to have Snyder testify under the terms of a subpoena it had initially issued.
The committee has the discretion to decide what, if any, information it releases from Snyder's deposition. The hearing was not recorded, though a transcript is expected to be produced.
Snyder testified a month after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appeared before the committee via Zoom to discuss Washington's workplace culture and the league's investigation into it. Snyder was invited to testify at the same hearing and, through a lawyer, declined.
Snyder's testimony came on the second day of practice of Washington's training camp in preparation for the 2022 season, which begins in September. While players and coaches are trying to focus on football, the congressional investigation was just one of a few off-field story lines around the team that made headlines in recent months, including an assistant's comments about the Jan. 6 insurrection and a deal for a new stadium falling through.
Earlier Thursday, a committee spokesperson said Snyder had "committed to providing full and complete testimony, and to answer the committee's questions about his knowledge of and contributions to the Commanders' toxic work environment, as well as his efforts to interfere with the NFL's internal investigation, without hiding behind nondisclosure or other confidentiality agreements."
